International typographic Style

The early influences of the Swiss style included Jan Tschichold’s book ‘Die Neue Typographie’ and Herbert Matter’s poster and brochure for the Swiss National Tourist Office. Moreover, the Swiss style adopted Constructivist elements of geometric reduction, simplified palette and photomontage.

The international typographic style, also known as the Swiss style, was developed in Switzerland in the 1950s which emphasizes the cleanliness, readability and objectivity. The main characteristics of the style are the asymmetric layouts, the use of a grid, the sans serif typefaces, flush left and ragged right text. Using mathematically constructed grids, photography and placing information clearly and factual. The international typography rejects personal expression and eccentric solutions and it was in favor of the Universal clarity and scientific approach to communication.

Josef Muller Brockmann Posters

Some designers were important influences on the development of the Swiss Design such as:

Ernst Keller (1891-1968)

Theo Ballmer (1902-1965)

Max Bill (1908-1994)

Max Huber (1919-1992)

Ernst Keller

Ernst Keller was the most important figure of the International Typographic Style and he was known as the “father of the Swiss graphic design”. In 1918, Keller started teaching at the school of Arts and Crafts, in Zurich Switzerland. He taught that the design should be adapted to the content and then he began to experiment with the grid systems. Later on, some of his students became the most important designers in the International Style movement including Josef Muller Brockmann, Armin Hoffman, Emil Ruder among others were.

Poster by Ernst Keller

Max Bill

Max Bill is Swiss architect, painter, sculptor and a graphic designer. He studied at the Zurich art and crafts school and later at the Bauhaus. In 1931, he wrote a manifesto called ‘Art Concret’. It advocated a universal art absolute clarity based on controlled arithmetical construction. Bill made use of single case typefaces which he saw as being the ‘concrete element in his designs’.

Poster by Max Bill for Wohnbedarf, 1932

The organic shape (white) unifies the various images of furniture.

 Nowadays...

This poster was taken from a bus stop in London. Here in this poster there are similarities to the Swiss style typography. Some elements of the Swiss style are: the white space, the sans serif typeface, the clear elements suitable for international communication, the geometric shapes and minimalism. These elements are found on this Transport for London poster. 

References

International Typographic Style, (2009). International Typographic Style. [online] Available at: https://swisstype.wordpress.com/ [Accessed 21 Jan. 2015].

Smearedblackink.com, (2015). .. :: The International Typographic Style Timeline :: ... [online] Available at: http://smearedblackink.com/swiss_style_timeline/ [Accessed 21 Jan. 2015].